Dating back to 1968, when Planet of the Apes took the world by storm (with a cinematic twist that is still ranked one of the best ever) the franchise is one of the most enduring of all.

In an age of reboots and remakes, Planet of the Apes, which was originally inspired by a novel by Pierre Boulle, stands out as it manages to grip cinema-goers by diving beyond the realms of the imagination pushing the boundaries as it explores everything from captivity, human emotion, race relations and all-out war.

The successful franchise has a legacy spanning nearly 50 years and has enjoyed the success of the original 1968 movie, four sequels and two television series.

Most recently the incredible re-imagining of the Planet of the Apes world has hit screens with the visually spectacular trilogy of Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, with the latest installment being the hotly anticipated War for the Planet of the Apes, out now in cinemas.

So before you head down to Vue to watch the new flick, here’s some interesting facts even the most dedicated fans might not know.

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1. A makeup test was the turning point with 20th Century Fox

Back in the 1960s, movie primates had either been real monkeys or actors in unconvincing costumes, but producer Arthur P. Jacobs set up a makeup test to prove that the visuals would be credible.

Planet of the Apes actors Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson appeared in the makeup screen test, with James Brolin and Linda Harrison. At the time, the test itself cost a reported $5000 (£3900) to shoot, but this helped convince former vice president of 20th Century Fox Richard Zanuck to dish out $5million (£3.9million).

The makeup for the original movie cost around $500,000 (£390,000), but the budget was a reported $1million (£775,000). The movie bosses decided to use the figure of $1million to gain ‘good PR’.

2. Segregated lunch

While shooting the 1960s movie, the cast discovered that something unusual would happen at lunchtime on set.

The actors, while wearing their costumes, which ranged from chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and just humans, found themselves congregating according to ‘species’.

The actors and producers were confused about the self-imposed groupings, as Charlton Heston even said: ‘I have no explanation for it whatsoever’.

3. War for the Planet of the Apes is not the end

Woody Harrelson is ready for war (Picture: Fox)

Producer Dylan Clark has said that the new action-packed, but thoughtful, movie is ‘complete’ but there’s more to come.

‘This is a complete story, but we also think we’ve done enough to introduce other avenues to go down,’ he told Den of Geek about the film, which has gained critical acclaim not only for its dramatic cinematography but for the thoughtful way in which it explores morality and inner-turmoil.

‘That would leave a lot of time to spend exploring an interesting drama before the astronaut lands and discovers that the planet’s been taken over by apes. […] We know where that story goes, but what we really like is seeing a nation of intelligent apes start to realise what kind of power they have in their society and how it interacts with humans.’

4. Tasteful homage

Incredible moments captured in War for the Planet of the Apes (Picture: Fox)

The rebooted Rise of the Planet of the Apes pays a subtle homage to the franchise, without being ‘in your face’. At one point Caesar is seen working on a jigsaw puzzle that turns out to be a picture of Taylor and Nova riding on a horse in front of the Statue of Liberty, a flashback to the 1968 movie’s twist ending.

Later in the film, Caesar also puts together the crown from the iconic New York landmark, another tasteful nod to the 1968 ending.

Also in the movie, Caesar’s mother is called Bright Eyes, which is after Taylor’s character (the astronaut who discovers the Planet of the Apes world in the 1968 movie), while Maurice the orang-utan is a reference to Maurice Evans who played Dr Zaius.

War for the Planet of the Apes appears to continue the trend, with Nova being named after Linda Harrison’s iconic role as Charlton Heston’s mute mate in the classic 1968 film.

5. Where did you go?

James Franco appeared in the rebooted series but didn’t return – like the other human characters (Picture: Fox)

You might expect to see the same faces to carry the story across the film franchises but Planet of the Apes is unique.

Across the new franchise, you will have noted the appearances from some of Hollywood’s finest, including James Franco, Gary Oldman, John Lithgow and Freida Pinto, but none of the human characters has returned to reprise their role.

The only returning actors for the latest reimagining of the Planet of the Apes world have been for the motion capture performances. Andy Serkis gives an amazingly emotive performance in the new War for the Planet of the Apes as Caesar, Karin Konoval as Maurice and Terry Notary as Rocket all starred in previous films.

6. 65mm captures incredible landscapes – and epic battles

War for the Planet of the Apes is heavily stylised, giving the movie a super-luxe feel.

It’s just one of the handful of movies, like Quentin Tarantino’s Hateful Eight, to be shot on 65mm.

What does that mean to you? 65mm gives the film amazing scope in its cinematography which means it is the perfect film to watch on the big screen. Think pinsharp projections and immersive 3D to really immerse you in the film’s dramatic settings, from desolate landscapes of snow to war-torn cities.

Caesar and his army mean business (Picture: Fox)

7. Ape laws

The three ape laws written on the ape community’s walls are as follows: ‘Ape not kill Ape. Apes together strong. Knowledge is power.’

The genesis of the phrase ‘Ape not kill Ape’ and the associated ape law dates back to the second film in the original series, Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970). The phrase is key to the plot of the Battle for the Planet of the Apes in which Caesar’s son Cornelius is killed by Aldo. Caesar kills Aldo in revenge.

‘Apes together strong,’ refers back to a line spoken by Caesar in Rise. ‘Apes alone… weak. Apes together strong,’ signs Caesar to Maurice. ‘Apes stupid,’ Maurice signs back. It is after that Caesar opens the ALZ-112 canisters to boost their intelligence.

8. Short but sweet

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes takes place over just 9 days, ending on the ‘dawn’ of the ninth day. Caesar (played by Andy Serkis, in all of his motion-capture glory) says only 184 words in the entire thing, but the hugely successful film, which is set in 2026 when humanity has been pushed to near extinction by a deadly virus, still manages to draw the viewer into an intense story of trust, friendship and what it means to be human.

By comparison Rise of the Planet of the Apes spans eight years.

9. Filming in CGI is snow joke

Following on from the success of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Rise of Planet of the Apes, it is no surprise that War for the Planet of the Apes has gone above and beyond when it comes to the cinematography.

As well as sweeping, barren landscapes that seem so real you could touch them, it features some breathtaking battle scenes and, most impressively, the first CGI snow scene!

However, the challenges of trying to place the actors in real snow soon became apparent, forcing a change in approach.

‘We can send the performers through the snow, but they move differently, they’re on crutches, their foot sizes and fists are different. So we have to abandon everything that we did in-camera and create it all digitally,’ visual effects producer Ryan Stafford told Den of Geek.

For the best in seats, sound and screen head to your local Vue to see War for The Planet of The Apes in 3D. The Big Screen Experience, the way it should be.

War For The Planet of The Apes is out now, and you can purchase a ticket for your local Vue here